The present application relates to radiation shielding in a radiation system, or more particularly to the mitigation of radiation leakage from a radiation system. It finds particular application in the context of baggage screening, where objects are translated or conveyed through a radiation system to detect threat items, such as guns, knives, explosives, etc. However, it may also find applicability in medical fields and/or industrial fields, where radiation systems are configured to examine and/or image objects.
Today, radiation systems (e.g., also referred to as imaging systems) such as computed tomography (CT) systems, projection systems, and/or line-scanner systems, for example, are useful to provide information regarding interior aspects of an object under examination and/or images of such interior aspects. Generally, the object is exposed to radiation comprising photons (e.g., such as x-rays, gamma rays, etc.), and an image(s) is formed based upon the radiation absorbed and/or attenuated by interior aspects of the object, or rather an amount of photons that is able to pass through the object. Typically, highly dense aspects of the object absorb and/or attenuate more radiation than less dense aspects, and thus an aspect having a higher density, such as a bone or metal, for example, may be apparent when surrounded by less dense aspects, such as muscle or clothing.
In some radiation systems, such as systems commonly found at security checkpoints, an energy shield, such as a lead curtain, is placed at an entry port of the radiation system and/or at an exit port of the radiation system. Such a shield is configured to mitigate radiation leakage to an environment external to the radiation system. Typically, such an energy shield is comprised of a plurality of flaps, and the force of an object (e.g., such as a suitcase) being guided into or out of the radiation system (e.g., via a conveyor belt) causes flaps that contact the object to move, permitting the object to enter the radiation system and be exposed to radiation and/or permitting the object to exit port the radiation system.